CONSISTENCY TESTS PLASTIC LIMIT PURPOSE To determine the plastic limit of a fine-grained soil for explicit purpose of classification. EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES Glass plate Spataula 2 numbered water content dishes Balance, capacity 100g, sensitive to + 0.01 g Oven set at 105 °C Distilled water avRyNn SOIL 1. Clay soil (Kaolinite) DISCUSSION The plastic limit of a soil is arbitarily defined as the maximum watet content below which a soil can be rolled into a thread of approximately 3 mm in diameter without breaking. It is the limit at which a soil mass changes from a plastic state to semi-solid state. PROCEDURE 1. Record the test data as indicated in Table 1, Form 4.1. 2. Take some supplied soil sample and obtain two moisture content values. Take the average as the natural moisture content of the soil sample. 3. Place approximately 10 g of soil on the glass plate and mix it in sufficient water , if necessary, so that the soil can be formed into a ball. The soil should then be in the plastic state. 4, Place the ball of soil on the glass plate and roll the ball gently with the palm of the hand. Use just sufficient pressure to roll the ball into a thread without letting it stick to the hand or to the plate. Page 1When the thread of soil is approximately 3 mm in diameter and does not break, remoulld the soil into a ball again and repeat the rolling procedure asin Step 3 above. Continue the process of rolling and remoulding until the soil thread breaks or crumbles at a thread diameter of 3 mm. ‘When the thread breaks at a diameter of 3 mm, the soil is at the lower limit of the plastic state. Put the broken pieces in a dish and determine the water content. Take another 10 g of soil and sepeat the test, ic., steps 3 to 7 above. The two plastic limit tests should yield values of water content, i.e., plastic limits, that are within + 0.5 % of each other. Finish the calculation as shown in Table 1, Form 4.1. Page 2LIQUID LIMIT (CONEPENETRATION METHOD) PURPOSE To determine the liquid limit of a fine-grained soil for explicit purpose of classification. EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES ‘Cone penetrometer apparatus 4 numbered water content dishes Spatula Glass plate Balance, capacity 100g, sensitive to + 0.01 g ‘Oven set at 105 °C Distilled water ROVERS sou. 1. Clay soil (kaolinite) DISCUSSION The liquid limit of a soil is defined as the maximum water content above which the behaviour of the soil when remoulded changes from that of a plastic material to that of a liquid material. This transition from a plastic state to a liquid state does not occur abruptly but is a gradual change. Consequently, it is necessary to arbitrarily standardize the point of change as being the water content which prevails when a standard cone penetrates 20 mm into a soil sample, Standardized equipment must be used as well as standardized procedures for performing the test. PROCEDURE, 1. Record the test data as indicated in Table 2, Form 4.2. 2 Place the soil on the glass plate, add water and mix with the spatula uatil there is a stiff paste. 3. Fill up the penetration tin with the soil sample. When filling, press the soi] paste against the tin to avoid trapping air. Smooth off level the top surface with the rim of the tin using a straight edge. 4 Lower the cone and its support down carefully, without exerting any force on the stem, until the tip of the cone just touches the surface of the Page 3soil. Adjust the dial gauge at a vertical position until it touches the top of the cone and record the reference reading to the nearest 0.1 mm (R,). Release the cone using the release button. The cone must be held in position for 5 seconds. After 5 seconds, release the button so as to lock the cone in place. Move the dial gauge until it touches the top of the cone again and record the new reading to the nearest 0.01 mm (R,). The difference between R, and R, represents the penetration of the cone. Lift up the cone and clean it carefully. Add a little more wet soil, without entrapping air, to the tin. Smooth off and repeat steps 5 and 6. If the second cone penetration differs from the first by less than 0.5 mm, the average value of the two penetrations is reocrded and the moistue content taken. When determining the mositure content, take about 10 g of the soil from the penetrated area. If the second penetration is 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm different from the first, a third trial is required. Provided that any two penetrations from the three trials do not differ by more than 1 mm, the average of the three penetrations is recorded and the moisture content taken. Otherwise the whole series of test has to be repeated. This complete the penetration measurement for one value of moisture content. Repeat steps 2 to 6 for three more times, with increasing moisture content each time. Ideally a range of penetrations from 15 mm to 25 mm should be covered. After the water content specimens have been oven dried, complete the calculation as indicated in Table 2, Form 4.2. Plot a graph of cone penetration vs. water in the graph provided in Form 4.2 to obtain the flow curve and the liquid limit. Page 4Consistency Test Sample No.: Specimen No... Borehole No. Depth: Date Sampled: Soil Description: Date Tested: Tested By, Table 1 Natural moisture content and plastic limit tests results Form 4 ‘Natural Moisture Content Plastic Limit Trial no, 1 Dish no. ‘Mass of dish (g) Mass of wet soil + dish @ ‘Mass of dry soil + dish (g) | Mass of dry soil (g) Mass of water (g) ‘Water content (%) ‘Natural Water Content (%): Plastic Limit (2%): Table 2 Liquid limit test results (cone penetration method) Trial no. I Initial dial gauge reading mm) Final dial gauge reading (mm) Penetration (mm) | ‘Average penetration (mm) _| T Dish no. ‘Mass of dish (g) Mass of wet soil + dish (g) Mass of dry soil + dish (g) Mass of water (g) Mass of dry soil (g) Water content (%) Liquid limit (%),__ Page___of___PagesConsistency Test Form 4 and Platic Limit Test Results: Plasticity Index (%), Liquidity Index (%),